[Current aspects of cerebral protection in carotid surgery: update]. / Aspects actuels de la protection cérébrale en chirurgie carotidienne: mise au point.

The goal of cerebral protection in carotid surgery is to reduce postoperative central neurological complications and thus reduce morbidity-mortality of carotid endarterectomy. With improving understanding of the mechanism leading to neurological complications, means of achieving cerebral protection have been developed. Preoperative evaluation of the ischemic risk is based on the neurological examination and on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings. The possibilities of arterial supply during carotid cross-clamping can be recognized with the help of arteriography, transcranial Doppler or angio-MRI. Selective or systematic use of an intraluminal shunt and preoperative heparin therapy are the main methods used for cerebral protection. The risk of early postoperative stroke can also be reduced by careful preoperative anatomic control to detect any technical failure. Discussion on the usefulness of monitoring cerebral function during the procedure is closely related to the experience of the surgical team. The only method currently accepted by all surgeons is the use of stents during carotid angioplasty to achieve cerebral protection.

[Carotid endarterectomy using eversion. One year radiologic results]. / Endartériectomie carotidienne par éversion. Résultats radiologiques à un an.

A prospective study was done in 100 patients operated on for a stenosis of the carotid artery by the eversion endarterectomy method of Van Maele (section-eversion-anastomosis) between January 1994 and August 1995. Ten patients were operated on bilaterally (thus, 110 procedures). The distribution of the patients was as follows 81 males and 19 females, mean age 71 years. Clinically, 50 patients were asymptomatic, 44 stage I, 2 stage II and 4 stage III. Arteriography of these patients showed 42 stenoses greater than or equal to 90%, 56 stenoses between 70 and 90% and 12 ulcerated plaques (according to the ESCT measurement standards). Concerning the supra-aortic vessels, 24 lesions of the vertebral-subclavian branches and 21 lesions of the intra-cerebral vessels were observed. Five endarterectomies out of the 110 (5.4%) could not be performed by this eversion method because of the immediate poor technical result before angiography. At the end of the procedure digital angiography was performed for all the patients who underwent an eversion endarterectomy (105 cases). Six images of the internal carotid artery presenting stenoses less than 30% were observed at the level of the implantation site. Two narrow stenoses of the distal part of the endarterectomy made the interposition of a PTFE graft necessary in 20% of the cases, a secondary procedure was necessary after the peri-operative angiography 2 implantations of PTFE in the internal carotid artery, 8 additional endarterectomies of the external carotid artery, 11 infiltrations with Papaverine. The immediate post-operative results were 1 death after hemiplegia, 1 hemiplegia with sequelae (mortality/morbidity approximately 2%, i.e. 2/103 eversions), 3 regressive hemipareses. Angiographic follow-ups after 1 year were performed on 100 out of 110 operated carotid arteries. With regard to the internal carotid artery, 4 patients showed a stenosis less than 30%, 1 patient a 50% stenosis, 1 patient a pre-occlusive stenosis making an operation with the interposition of a PTFE graft necessary (restenosis rate after one year 2%). All the patients followed after one year remained asymptomatic. Eversion endarterectomy is possible for the majority of the atheromatous stenoses of the carotid artery (5.4% were not possible for technical reasons). We find this method not appropriate when a shunt must be placed. Immediate results are comparable to those of classical surgical endarterectomy with or without patching. The restenosis rate at 1 year in our series is 2%. This technique provides an excellent anatomic result by peri-operative angiography and can especially be adapted to stenoses with excess of length of the carotid artery.

[Should one operate on all asymptomatic carotid lesions?]. / Faut-il opérer toutes les lésions carotidiennes asymptomatiques?

Two subgroups in Natali and Thevenet's stage 0 class of asymptomatic diseases are defined. True asymptomatic affections occur in patients with neurologically asymptomatic carotid lesions. The natural history of these diseases when compared with results after surgery is in favor of preventive operative therapy. False asymptomatic affections are seen in patients who, after previous operations for symptomatic carotid lesions, present a lesion on the controlateral carotid which until then had been neurologically silent. The natural history of this group shows that immediate definitive cerebral accidents are rare and that life expectancy is low. In contrast, the course after repeat surgery, the present data being the first to be published, appears to be rather unfavorable. Careful selection of patients in this subgroup is therefore necessary when considering surgical treatment.

[Current indications for superior dorsal sympathectomy. Apropos of 84 cases]. / Indications actuelles de la sympathectomie dorsale supérieure. A propos de 84 cas.

Results of dorsal sympathectomy in patients (67 operations) for vasomotor disorders of the upper limbs were assessed after follow-up for between 6 months and 15 years, in order to determine the best indications for surgery. Based on clinical results, sympathectomy should be performed not only when medical treatment fails, but also in the presence of a severe clinical picture of trophic disturbances or pain of the ischemic type. Two types of investigation are essential before deciding on operative therapy:--plethysmography with a hyperemia test,--arteriography of the hand. Assessment of results as a function of etiology demonstrated that they were excellent in cases of hyperhidrosis, very satisfactory in atheromatous digital arteritis or a thoracic inlet syndrome (associated with rib resection in the latter case), but only moderately good in scleroderma or post-traumatic lesions. Finally, Raynaud's disease or thromboangiitis do not appear to be indications for this operative procedure.

[Carotid loops and folds, one of the limitations of the Doppler examination (author's transl)]. / Boucles et plicatures carotidiennes. Une des limites de l'examen Doppler.

Lesions in the form of loops and folds occur frequently in carotid pathology. Different authors have assessed their responsibility for the occurrence of ischaemic cerebral accidents at between 20% and 16%. Diagnosis of the condition by Doppler exploration of such abnormal cases is certainly of value, but is subject to numerous sources of error. The present authors have defined the different types of lesions, their pathogenic aetiology and their repercussions on the blood indices. The various changes occurring in Doppler tracings have been discussed in relation to these anatomical types of carotid lesions and in relation to the arteriographic pictures.

[Primary phlebitis of the arm]. / Les phlébites primitives du membre supérieur.

Primary phlebitis or sprain phlebitis in the upper member are caused by a compressive mechanism in the thoraco-brachial passage. Thrombosis most often originates in the area of the cost-clavicular hinge, and spreads towards the extremity of the member. In this series, 19 cases were treated: 8 recent cases of phlebitis, in which results were all too often imperfect (5 failures), 11 post-phlebitic syndromes, in which there were 9 good results. The surgical procedure which we therefore recommend aims at the decompression of the collateral circulation flowing around the thrombosed area: this should be enough to improve results in a large proportion of cases.